THIRTEENTH GENERATION

8082. Miles MERWIN ⁽¹⁶²⁾ was baptized on 1 Feb 1623/24 in New Windsor,Berks,England. He died on 23 Apr 1697 in Milford,New Haven,CT. From Richardson:
MILES MERWIN, the New England immigrant, was born at Clewer, Berkshire, baptized in the adjacent parish of New Windsor, 1 February 1623/4 (see fn. 26), and he died at Milford, Connecticut, 23 April 1697, aged 74 years. He immigrated to New England, possibly in 1640 on the ship Susan and Ellen, in the company of his uncle, John Tinker, and by 1648 he had settled in Windsor, Connecticut, (see fn. 27) where his uncle and great-aunt and stepgrandmother, Mary (Merwin) Collins, also were living.
He married first, say 1648, probably at Windsor, Connecticut, ELIZABETH POWELL, who was baptized at All Hallows, Goldsmith Street, Exeter, Devonshire, 29 August 1630, daughter of William and Dorothy (Searle) Powell of Exeter and Honiton, Devonshire, (see fn. 28) and died at Milford, Connecticut, 10 July 1664. She was the niece of Abigail (Searle) (Branker) Warham (1612-1684), wife successively of John Branker, schoolmaster, and the Rev. John Warham, both of Dorchester, Massachusetts, and Windsor, Connecticut. Miles married, second, about 1665, SARAH (PLATT) BEACH, who was baptized at Ware, Hertfordshire, 11 September 1636, daughter of Richard and Mary (Wood) Platt, and the widow of Thomas Beach of Milford (see fn. 29). Sarah died at Milford, Connecticut, 15 May 1670, and Miles married third, at Stamford, Connecticut, 30 November 1670, SARAH (YOUNGS) SCOFIELD, the daughter of Rev. John and Mary (___) Youngs and widow of Daniel Scofield of Stamford. Sarah died shortly before 16 June 1697, when an inventory of her estate was taken.
In 1650, Miles Merwin purchased a five-acre homelot, dwelling house, and 2 1/4 acres of adjoining meadow at Windsor from Roger Williams, bounded by the rivulet (Farmington River) and the lands of Benjamin Newberry and Thomas Nowell (see fn. 30). About the same time, Miles also purchased a large tract of land from Samuel Phelps east of Windsor on the east side of the Connecticut River, bounded by land of John Drake Jr. and John Strong (see fn 31). Sometime in the period 1649-1654 the town of Milford granted Miles Merwin "for his encouragement to settle within the town" ten acres, five of them in the Brick Kiln (see fn 32). Shortly afterwards, on 27 January 1652/3, Miles sold his homelot, dwelling house, and meadow in Windsor to Samuel Marshall, and, in a second undated conveyance, sold his tract on the east side of the river to Thomas Ford [fn.33].
Upon arriving in Milford, Miles established a successful tannery business which he, and later his son John, operated. On 10 January 1654/5, the Town granted "Tanner Miles Marwin" a lot "next unto Ensign Bryan's Warehouse by the harborside, for to build and improve his trade thereon and he would lay down the other Againe to the town that was formerly granted to him because it is streight for him and this place he Judged to be more convenient...." [fn 34]. In 1675 Miles was joint owner with William East and Alexander Bryan of one sloop and two brigs. The sloop was kept in the coastal trade with Boston; the brigs made voyages to the West Indies taking as cargo, staves, horses, cattle, beef, pork, and corn meal, returning with rum, molasses, and European goods [fn 35].
Prior to his death, he conveyed most of his real estate to three of his sons, John, Samuel, and Miles, Jr. In his will dated 18 May 1695 and proved 12 May 1697, Miles Merwin, Senior made bequests to his wife Sarah Merwin and her grandchildren, children of Sarah and John Pettet of Stamford; to John Scofell of Stamford; and to Mercy Camp, wife of Samuel Camp of Milford. He specified that any of his children who had not received their full portion should be given them by his executors; he named sons John, Thomas, Samuel, and Miles, and mentioned (but did not name) daughters. To his ten grandchildren he left 100 lbs. among them, and to each one a bible. Land he had of Nathaniel Farran he gave to his son John's eldest child [fn 36]. Sons John and Miles were to be executors. Witnesses were Alexander Bryan, Josiah Plat, and Edward Nilkison [fn 37].
The will was proved 12 May 1697. The inventory of the personal estate of Miles Merwin, Senior, totaling 43 lbs 11s 11d, was taken by John Smith, Jonathan Baldwin, and Timothy Baldwin; it included a tract of 110 acres and another of unspecified size bought of Nathaniel Farran.

Footnotes:
26. Miles Merwin's baptism was recorded in the registers of New Windsor and also in the Bishop's Transcripts of Clewer. The New Windsor record explains the duplication, stating that Miles was born in Clewer, but baptized in New Windsor.
27. Miles Merwin (1623-1697) Association, Inc., The Merwin Family in North America, Vol. I (Hartford, Conn., 1978), pp. xxxiii-xxxiv.
28. Parish Registers of All Hallows, Goldsmith Street, Exeter, FHL microfilm 547,185. Elizabeth Powell's identification and English ancestry will be subject of a future article in the Register.
29. The American Genealogist, 30 (1954): 232-242; 31 (1955): 155-170; Charles Platt, Jr., Platt Genealogy (New Hope, Pa., 1963), 73, 262. For new light on the English ancestry of the immigrant, Richard Platt, and his wife Mary Wood, see a forthcoming article by Douglas Richardson planned for the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record.
30. Windsor Deeds, 1:139; 1A:130, on FHL microfilm 6,188.
31. Ibid. This conveyance is not dated.
32. Milford Deeds, 1:122, FHL microfilm 4918; not dated, but presumably after 14 Dec. 1649.
33. Ibid., I:17,149; IA:14, 140.
34. Milford Deeds, 1:35.
35. Merwin Family, I:xxxiii-xlviii.
36. Miles Merwin, senior purchased from Nathaniel Farrand of Milford, on 23 May 1685, a 12-acre parcel of upland on "the Oyster Medow plaine" in Milford (Milford Deeds,3:55).
37. A complete transcription of the will and inventory appear in Merwin Family, pp. xlix - liii. He was married to Elizabeth POWELL [1648] in [Windsor,,CT].

8083. Elizabeth POWELL was baptized on 29 Aug 1630 in Exeter,Devonshire,England. She died on 10 Jul 1664 in Milford,New Haven,CT. Children were:

i. Elizabeth MERWIN⁽¹⁶²⁾ was born [1648].
ii. John MERWIN⁽¹⁶²⁾ was born on 13 Jan 1649/50 in Windsor,,CT. He died on 15 Jan 1727/28 in Milford,New Haven,CT.
iii. Thomas MERWIN⁽¹⁶²⁾ was born about 1652. He resided on 29 Jan 1716 in Fairfield,,CT.
4041 iv. Abigail MERWIN.
2466 v. Samuel MERWIN.
vi. Miles MERWIN⁽¹⁶²⁾ was born on 14 Dec 1658 in Milford,New Haven,CT. He died on 18 Sep 1724 in Milford,New Haven,CT.
vii. Daniel MERWIN⁽¹⁶²⁾ was born on 28 Jun 1661 in Milford,New Haven,CT. He died on 4 Aug 1661 in Milford,New Haven,CT.

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